An Act To Require the Reporting of Executive Branch Lobbying
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 3 MRSA §312-A, sub-§9, as amended by PL 1993, c. 446, Pt. A, §5, is further amended to read:
9. Lobbying. "Lobbying" means to communicate directly with any official in the Legislature for the purpose of influencing any legislative action or with the Governor for the purpose of influencing the approval or veto of a legislative action or with a state agency commissioner, a commissioner's designee directed to communicate with the Legislature on legislative action or a constitutional officer for the purpose of influencing any legislative action when reimbursement for expenditures or compensation is made for those activities. It "Lobbying" includes the time spent to prepare and submit to the Governor, an official within the executive branch, a state agency commissioner, a commissioner's designee directed to communicate with the Legislature on legislative action, a constitutional officer, a Legislator or a legislative committee oral and written proposals for, or testimony or analyses concerning, a legislative action. "Lobbying" does not include time spent by any person providing information to or participating in a subcommittee, stakeholder group, task force or other work group regarding a legislative action by the appointment or at the request of the Governor, a Legislator or legislative committee, a constitutional officer, a state agency commissioner or the chair of a state board or commission as long as the person's regular employment does not otherwise include lobbying.
summary
This bill amends the definition of "lobbying" under the lobbyist disclosure laws to ensure that all the reporting and disclosure requirements currently in place for lobbyists apply to individuals who lobby any official in the executive branch of State Government in addition to officials in the legislative branch and the Governor. The bill also adds to the definition of "lobbying" communication with state agency commissioners, commissioners' designees and constitutional officers for the purpose of influencing any legislative action when reimbursement for expenditures or compensation is made for that communication.
The bill also provides that "lobbying" does not include time spent by any person providing information to or participating in a subcommittee, stakeholder group, task force or other work group regarding a legislative action by the appointment or at the request of the Governor, a Legislator or legislative committee, a constitutional officer, a state agency commissioner or the chair of a state board or commission as long as the person's regular employment does not otherwise include lobbying.